MixFest Creates a Stir in Boston

This past weekend, Boston radio station Mix 104.1 threw it’s annual free music event, entitled MixFest at the DCR Memorial Hatch Shell in Boston. Even with the event being free, that didn’t stop the station from bringing big name acts. The show featured three big name acts in fact, Gavin DeGraw, The Backstreet Boys, and folk rock giants Of Monsters & Men. The large name acts involved drew tens of thousands of people out to the Esplanade, even early in the day.

By 2pm, a full two hours before the show even started, access to the Hatch Shell had to be shut off due to the area being filled to capacity. Many fans however still lined up along the banks of the Charles River, and even lined up across one of Boston’s most heavily trafficked roads, Storrow Drive. Police were forced to shut down the main thoroughfare because the amount of people trying to catch a glimpse of the show from the road was simply too large.

Alternative rock singer Gavin DeGraw kicked things off just around 4:30pm and roared through a hit-filled set. Rock radio staples like “I Don’t Wanna Be” and “I’m in Love with a Girl” had the massive crowd singing along. DeGraw was all over the place during his set, climbing off the stage to sing while standing on the barrier, going into the VIP seating area, and even climbing an ambulance that was parked on standby not far from the stage. DeGraw played his latest hit, “Best I Ever Had” which almost everyone in attendance had already learned the words to.

After a brief break to set up, legendary pop act Backstreet Boys took the stage to mass hysteria. The band was told they were not to leave the stage to sing in the crowd by Boston Police who feared too much chaos would take place if fans got the chance to rush the band. The band’s set was short but sweet. Classics like “Backstreet’s Back” and “I Want It That Way” were mixed with new songs like “In A World Like This” for a crowd pleasing set that many had waited for all day.

Finally, Icelandic folk rockers Of Monsters and Men took the stage for what was the final show of an 18 month tour. The band has seen tremendous success in the United States after the release of their major label debut “My Head Is An Animal” which reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 charts last year. Of Monsters and Men played all but one of the songs from their album to the delighted Boston crowd, songs like “Mountain Sound”, “Love Love Love” and “Lakehouse” turned the crowd into a massive choir. The encore featured the monster hit “Little Talks” and the album concluding song “Yellow Light” which has become the standard final song in the band’s typical setlist. The day as a whole was one filled with huge crowds, angry concert-goers who settled for being able to hear, not see the show, and top notch live music.

The day was a huge success for Mix 104.1 and the City of Boston, the buzz in the air – and the traffic backup – was felt all throughout Boston creating a unique, special day that anyone who was there would tell you they were glad to be a part of.

Pain in the Grass - Day Two

Day 2 of Pain in the Grass started just after 2pm on the "Coldcock stage" with a band called Mom's Rocket, hailing straight out of Olympia, Washington. This is definitely a band you want kicking off a show, with lots of energy, and raw, edgy rock. 

Next up was London five piece Charming Liars. They did not disappoint, for only playing for about 20 minutes, they sure brought the house down with their hit single "New Disorder". I except to hear lots more from this band in the near future and can't wait to see what they bring to the table.

Up next was the Battle of the Bands Winner, the energetic and fun Chuck Shaffer Picture Show, before Beware of Darkness were ready to take the stage. They were unique, to say the least, especially Kyle Nicolaides, who squirmed all over the stage. Be sure to check out their hit single, "Howl" from their new album Orthodox cause it may just be one of the best songs you've heard in a long time!

Middle Class Rut took the stage next. They came out with a full band rather than just a duo, adding to the show and making for a great set. Closing out the side stages were The Dead Daises and Danko Jones, both of which rocked it. Danko Jones especially were so loud and crisp they sounded like they should have been on the main stage. 

None other than Seattle's very own supergroup Walking Papers got the main stage started.  The group features previous bassist of Gun's N' Roses, Duff McKagan, and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready often plays live with the band. These guys may be up their in age a little but were one of my favorites of the night. Such energy. especially from their keyboardist in "Benjamin Anderson".

Coheed and Cambria, brought a totally different style to the Uproar festival that not many of us expected. They were probably the most difficult band of the night to shoot, with singer Claudio Sanchez's hair going all over the place. The crowd really seemed to enjoy them as they rocked out their top hit "Welcome Home", featuring catchy guitar solos and drum beats.

Janes Addiction from Los Angeles, California was up next. I hadn't really listened to much up until this show, but I am definitely a fan now. Their stage props and lighting added to the live show. They really got the crowd going with one of their biggest hits "Mountain Song".

Finally, it was time for Seattle's own Alice in Chains to close the show. They opened with "Rain When I Die" off of their Dirt album. They may not have Layne Staley, but they still rocked the crowd as if nothing had changed.  They ended the show perfectly, closing out with their biggest hits "Nutshell", "Man in a box", "Would?", and "Rooster".

All in all Day 2 of Pain in The Grass 2013, was truly an unforgettable experience, at one my favorite venues ever, The Gorge Amphitheater. So if you like great views, camping, and kick ass music, be sure to check out this festival next year, Cause it'll be one you'll never forget!

Boston Calling - Day One

The second installment of Boston Calling took over City Hall Plaza on the first full weekend in September, and once again the festival was a hit. This time around the festival was even set up better logistically. With the two stages facing each other there was plenty of room at each stage for fans to gather and get a good view of the stage.

The festival weekend kicked off Saturday just before 1pm with local vintage rockers Viva Viva who drew an obvious influence from the early days of rock & roll in the 1960’s. Another local act, You Won’t picked things up from where they left off, their indie folk sound blended energy with acoustic jams to create a great atmosphere early on in the festival.

Indie pop act Lucius hit the crowd with a big surprise from their set. The band which features two female co-vocalists got the crowd going and very interested in their sound. Even though they weren’t one of the early buzz bands that initially brought people out to the festival, but the time their set was over many people were talking about them.

Indie rock veterans Okkervill River put on a great show during their set. Blending classics like “For Real” “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” and “Unless It’s Kicks” with new songs off the recently released “Silver Gymnasium”.

Providence rockers Deer Tick also had a few surprises up their sleeve, one being playing their upcoming album Negativity in it’s entirety 3 weeks prior to it’s release. The other surprise during that set was bringing out pop star Vanessa Carlton for featured vocals on “In Our Time”.

Following Deer Tick, The Airborne Toxic Event took over the main stage with their orchestral influenced alternative rock. The multi-instrumental performance impressed many in the crowd who seemed as if they didn’t know what to expect at first.

Natasha Kahn, known by the stage name Bat For Lashes was up next. Her indie pop set was similar to the stellar performance put on earlier in the day by Lucius. Kahn drew quite the crowd to the second stage for a great performance.

Rising indie rockers Local Natives gave a performance worthy of the hype that has been building up around them recently. The band does a great job of blending multiple genres into their sound, and does an even better job at getting the crowd going during their live performance. Many flocked to the main stage for an opportunity to catch a band that could easily be headlining festivals such as this one, as early as next year.

The Gaslight Anthem took over the Red Stage for what was personally, my highlight of the whole weekend. The New Jersey punk rockers put on an incredible display of energy and emotion in their set. The crowd who gathered at the Red Stage for the set, were blown away by Gaslight’s performance. Frontman Brian Fallon display an amazing ability to command a crowd and make his audience feel his band’s music, not just hear it.

Day 1 was capped off with a fantastic headline performance from festival headliners Vampire Weekend. The band built an incredible setlist that kept every from their biggest fans, to people who knew only a few songs happy. All in all the day was a huge success and while it could have used a bit more diversity musically, the bands that played delivered in a big way. 

O'Brother Light Up Allston

Atlanta rockers O’Brother brought their Disillusion tour into Brighton Music Hall in Boston on Friday night, and for those who turned out, a night of loud, hard driving noise-rock was in store. The band took the stage right around 9:50 pm and from the start they did nothing but deliver strong sounds. Guitarist Johnny Dang displayed some immense talent and expert knowledge of his instrument with many pedals and effects that made his guitar sound like it would fit perfect in the 90’s underground rock scene. O’Brother’s style is a mesmerizing clash of 90’s grunge, art rock, and progressive metal that creates a unique sound all their own.

The band had the crowd in awe all night, mixing a set between their debut album “Garden Window” which was released in 2011, and their latest, heavier release “Disillusion.” Disillusion is darker, more toned album than the first, setting the band on a course of a heavier genre that will undoubtedly lead them to appeal to fans of bands like Nine Inch Nails, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The band’s show on Friday night proved that they are poised to make that leap from a band with a good album, to a powerful live act.

With a catalog of songs that range from indie rock to progressive metal O’Brother is a hard band to predict. Their live set-up includes lighting rights, fog machines, and loud guitars with a whole lot of feedback. Vocalist/guitarist Tanner Merritt lays down ambient vocals that mesh together perfectly with those guitars for a sound that is unmistakable. After rocking the house in Brighton on Friday many in attendance were interested to learn everything they could about this talented young band.

Support on the tour is delivered but Indiana rockers Native who also posses a loud, brand of noise rock that leans a little more towards hardcore than metal. Also supporting on this tour are grunge rockers Daylight who sound like they came out of Seattle in the mid 90’s. The band plays a straight up high energy brand of grunge, complete with the attitude of a frontman who wants nothing more that to play a straight up set with little banter and no wasting of time.

Friday night's show in Boston wasn’t the kind of over-hyped “bands you HAVE to see” show full of hipsters and uninformed journalists we’re so used to seeing these days. It was an under the radar show with a good crowd who enjoys music, the kind of underground show that used to go on in the 1990’s. There were a few quick pictures taken, but for the most part the air wasn’t filled with cell phone and camera screens like is so often seen in today’s music scene. This was the type of show that was just for fans of good music, and not elitist “fans” who only want to be in attendance to eventually wear it as a badge when one or all of these bands get big, proclaiming “I saw them in a small club back when..” as if it was some sort of achievement. If you’ve grown tired of a music scene like that, check out O’Brother on the Disillusion tour for a night of rock that will take you back to the days when underground shows ruled the scene.

Pain in the Grass - Day One

Pain in the Grass 2013 was unlike any other Pain in the Grass you've seen before. This years festival featured two days of artists instead of just one, and was the first year the festival was featured at the Gorge, one of the most acclaimed venues in the country! The first day featured H.I.M., All That Remains, Volbeat on the main stage, and headlined by what seemed to be everyones favorite, Avenged Sevenfold.

First up were All That Remains. Although I haven't listened to them much personally, they were great! Frontman Philip Labonte was always interacting with the crowd, as were the rest of the band members. They performed a lot of the hits including "Two Weeks", "The Last Time" and "Forever in Your Hands".

Next up were Finnish rockers H.I.M., another band that I hadn't heard live before either but was very eager to finally have a chance to. Included in their set was fan favorite and my personal favorite, "Wings of a Butterfly". Next up for this band is probably one of the biggest festivals this country has to offer - Aftershock Festival, where they'll be playing day two of the massive event.

Hailing from Denmark, Volbeat was up next, and probably the band I had been most excited to see. Michael Poulsen started and the guys started out with a little snippet of "Ring of Fire" before playing "Sad Mans Tongue". The band played a three song encore even though Avenged Sevenfold were headlining.

Now, Avenged Sevenfold, the final act of the night. These guys were explosive right from the get go like they always are, with pyro shooting everywhere. They opened with "Shepherd of Fire" off of their new album Hail to the King. They also played a lot of their big hits such as "Critical Acclaim", "Nightmare", and "Afterlife". Then with the fans chanting "A7X, A7X, A7X" The band finally came back out for their encore of "Chapter Four" and "Unholy Confessions", capping off a wonderful evening at the Gorge as M. Shadows shouted to the crowd "Have great fu**king night!"

Blink 182 & Taking Back Sunday at Mohegan Sun

Although punk rock is not exactly my cup of tea, both Taking Back Sunday and Blink 182 did wake up the audience at the Mohegan Sun Arena last night. Towards the end of the night, the venue managed to fill up with punk fans.

Taking Back Sunday didn’t waste a single second beginning their set. After they played their intro song, The Lion King’s “Circle of Life”, they started with “Error: Operator”, quickly followed by “You Know How I Do” and “Liar (It Takes One to Know One)”. They continued with “Faith (When I Let You Down)”, “A Decade Under the Influence”, and “What’s It Feel Like to Be A Ghost?” The crowd surfing started by the end of this song and the alternatively dressed fans in front of the barricade squealed with delight as frontman Adam Lazzara looked right at them and occasionally point to them. They finished the speedy set with “You’re So Last Summer”, “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut from the Team)”, and “MakeDamnSure”. I was disappointed that they didn’t play their hit single, “I Know You Know”, but all in all it was a very good set and they definitely warmed the crowd up for Blink-182’s performance.

Blink-182 were more than ready to show what they all had in store for us. They immediately started their setlist with “Feeling This”, “Up All Night”, “The Rock Show” and “What’s My Age Again?” I have never seen Blink-182 before and haven’t heard them in a long time, and so far, I was very impressed with how energized they were and what one hell of a show they were putting on! Travis Barker was a force, as always, on the drum kit, displaying his genre blending talent borrowing drum techniques from other genres of music at s

ome points. The onstage chemistry between Mark and Tom was an example of everything that is Pop Punk. The jokes and silly comments back and forth created a rapport that is not often seen with bands that haven been together as long as blink 182.

They continued with “Dogs Eating Dogs”, “Down”, and personally one of my favorites, “I Miss You”, the whole crowd, myself included, sang along whole-heartedly. They didn’t pause one second in proceeding with “Wishing Well”, “Disaster”, “Dumpweed”, “Always”, and so many fantastic songs including their classic hit “All the Small Things”. They finished their set with “Josie”, “Carousel”, “Dammit” and “Family Reunion”.

Overall, the crowd’s energy was through the roof and as for both Blink-182 and Taking Back Sunday, they gave the crowd what they needed: a killer show! Be sure to check out their tour dates, it’s a show you will not want to miss!

The Sound of Madness goes Carnival in Big Flats, NY

Carnival of Madness returned this year with perhaps their strongest lineup yet. With a diverse mix of some of the biggest names in modern rock today, each band had something unique to bring to the table. 

The rain held off in Big Flats, NY on Wednesday when newcomers We As Human took the stage for a short but sweet set. The Christian rockers brought a mix of light and heavy vocals and hard hitting riffs. Unfortunately my wishful thinking that Skillet's John Cooper would join the band to sing "Zombie" was probably a long shot with the band's 20 minute set. Despite the short amount of time they had, they made every second count by giving us nonstop energy from start to finish.

The eccentric stage setup for In This Moment began to take form and build anticipation for what was sure to be an entertaining performance. Dancers took the stage along with drummer Tom Hane to provide the intro to "Rise With Me" while the remaining members took the stage decked out in full makeup. Singer Maria Brink effortlessly captivated the crowd from her platform center stage, dancing as she screamed out the raw vocals on "Adrenalize" and "Whore". The band have grown since my first few times seeing them. Guitarists Chris Howorth and Randy Weirzel and bassist Travis Johnson were certainly not overshadowed by the overall

setup as they seemed to be in the past, taking control of the stage and amping up the crowd with their eerily angry instrumentals.

Papa Roach relied on the band's incredible stage presence, sparing no effort on theatrics to enhance their set. It was clear that they fed off of the crowd's energy, getting more and more into the music as the show went on. With everything from rock-rap on older tracks "Blood Brothers" and "Between Angels and Insects", to bass driven ballad "Forever" Papa Roach delivered an unforgettable performance. Guitarist Jerry Horton showed off his skills on "Where Did the Angels Go?", an awesome addition to their live show. It's safe to say that Papa Roach stole the show at Carnival of Madness, and based on the sea of crowd surfers and mosh pits going full force throughout the set, I think many fans would agree.

Christian rockers Skillet were up next to warm us up for Shinedown. A violinist and cellist stepped on stage, providing the signature strings that make Skillet's sound so unique. Backing vocals from drummer Jen Ledger added to frontman John Cooper's on most of the songs, a decent number of which were from their latest release Rise. They included 4 new songs, giving us a totally fresh show, leaving in fan favorites like "Hero" and "Awake and Alive". To finish off they played "Monster", while everyone jumped along, and "Rebirthing". The track was a perfect

finish to their set, with the strings enhancing the powerful song even further.

The rain finally came when it was time for Shinedown to take the stage, but that didn't stop a packed full crowd from staying right where they were to catch the band up close. Their hit filled set list included only a few lesser heard tracks like "I'm Not Alright". For those that were hoping to hear older favorites or something a bit different, this is not the tour for that. Aside from the somewhat repetitive set, they put on an amazing show. Circus performers added to the carnival theme, and pyro blazed in the air throughout the set. 

Shinedown's time flew by, and before long it was time for their encore. Their cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" was stronger than ever; not a single voice was quiet on the chorus. "Bully" wrapped up the day of nonstop rock, with an energetic chorus that left us wanting more.

The Cult, White Hills Electrify Boston

1987 was an amazing year for rock albums. Landmark albums like “Appetite for Destruction”, “Slippery When Wet”, and “The Joshua Tree” were among those released. Literally dozens of classic albums were out that year. Many of which are still spun on a regular basis today. One of those many successful albums, The Cult’s “Electric” is being brought back to life this year on The Cult’s “Electric 13” tour. The band is playing the album in its entirety – minus the “Born to Be Wild” cover, which has been swapped out for a Cult original – and on Friday night they brought that tour to Boston, MA.

Right at 10:00pm, fashionably late as always with The Cult, the band hit the stage and began playing “Electric”. It’s one of those albums that pretty much transcend generations; there was a good mix of younger and older Cult fans at Boston’s House of Blues on Friday. The band breezed through the album set almost as quickly as the album’s original running time of 38 minutes.

Ian Astbury seemed to be all business for the “Electric” portion of the show, stopping only to thank the crowd for their applause. Once the set was done however, Astbury seemed to ease into the Ian most of us know, famous for his stage banter. He told the audience the band would be taking a short break and would come back to “stab you in the face” and then introduced a short art film that was played for the crowd while they waited.

Once the band returned they launched into a great career retrospective playing classics like “Sweet Soul Sister”, “Rain” and “She Sells Sanctuary” alongside modern Cult classics like “For The Animals, Rise, and Honey From a Knife”. They then left one more time, and returned for a brief final encore of two more classics, “Spiritwalker” and “Sun King”. The set as a whole, was a spectacular collection of songs from all eras of the band. One notable absence was the barn burning “Fire Woman” which has been cut from the set since the Electric 13 tour started.

Although the tour isn’t billed as a co-headline tour, opener White Hills certainly have a headline worthy performance. Getting an hour long set, instead of the typical 30 or 45 minute opening set, the band proved they were up to the task in style. Their psychedelic, ambient rock n roll, impressed many of the Cult fans in attendance. With a plethora of songs to choose from in their catalog, the band had no time making the best of their long opening set. If you’re not familiar with them, they have put out around 10 albums since 2005 alone, often releasing music on multiple labels at once.

Their most recent release, through Thrill Jockey Records, is entitled "So You Are, So You’ll Be". The band sampled a few tracks from it on Friday and they sounded excellent. The atmosphere created by the band and their stage production was  a real treat, White Hills impressed those in attendance who didn’t know them, as evidenced by the dozens of fans lining up at their merch table to meet them.

Crash Kings, Nico Vega Bring Unique Sounds to Cambridge

Standing out in today’s music industry is not an easy thing. But on Friday night in Cambridge, MA, music fans got to see not one, but two bands whose unique approach to making music set them apart from the rest of the field. Finishing up their co-headlining tour, Crash Kings and Nico Vega rolled into Cambridge’s newest venue, The Sinclair.

The venue opened last December and has been met with nothing but success since.

Los Angeles band Nico Vega was on first during Friday’s show and their set was something to behold. The show started unlike anything I’d even seen before, with frontwoman Aja Volkman laying down her own backing vocals with a vocal looping machine.

Volkman made great use of the space around her all night, strutting around the stage and climbing on seemingly anything that would support her. The band's sound can best be described as something along the lines of “Indie Stomp” using 10 gallon oil drums as musical instruments, as well as the traditional guitar, bass, and standard drum kit.

Aja Volkman was the main attraction however, with vocals that contained a powerful soul behind them that could be felt throughout the whole room. Nico Vega brought the house down on the final song of their set, “Beast”, which took on an even heavier rock sound live.

Crash Kings took the stage a little after 11pm, holding the headline slot in their hometown. The band moved to LA years ago, but still consider themselves Bostonians, and judging by the crowd’s reaction to them, so does Boston.

They seem like the typical rock band at first, bass, drums, keyboard, vocals, but where they get their guitar sound is where they differ. Instead of a traditional electric or acoustic guitar, frontman Antonio Beliveau uses a clavinet, an instrument with the design of a keyboard, that sounds like a guitar. It’s run through an amplifier and contains pickups and strings. It even has a vibrato system to mimic the sounds of a what is commonly called a “whammy bar”. Beliveau gets one heck of a sound out of it, a quick search of youtube reveals an interesting video by the band called “the history of guitar, without a guitar” which shows examples of Beliveau playing several guitar classics with his clavinet.

During Friday’s show Crash Kings showcased all original material however. With two full length albums, the band has plenty to work with. Songs like “Mountain Man” “14 Arms” and “Hot Fire” are great alternative rock songs that match very well with the band’s style of music. There are even some ballads like “Non-Believer” and “My Love”. There’s a little something for everybody when it comes to Crash Kings material. Friday’s hometown show got the band a lot of love and they enjoyed it from start to finish. With fans dancing and grooving to the rock and funky sounds, the atmosphere at the Sinclair on Thursday was full of fun. If you’re looking to see something different, and have a lot of fun doing so, make sure to check out Crash Kings.